New York is a mecca of social justice. From the start of Occupy Wall Street to the current Occupy Sandy efforts, New Yorkers seem ready to step in whenever the need arises. Today, however, social justice is taking form in an entirely different way. Pamela Geller and the American Freedom Defense Initiative put ads all over the subway with anti-Muslim messages. The signs show the World Trade Center bombing on 9/11. In large words next to the picture of the towers in flames state:

“Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers. (Quaran 3:151).”

New Yorkers, however, didn’t like this clearly racist and hateful message directly aimed at sowing fear of Muslim people. So they took matters into their own hands, going from subway to subway, plastering caution signs stating that this is war propaganda.

Here is an example:

I, for one, am tired of all the fear mongering that goes on towards Muslims. The truth is that terrorism exists in all religions. The difference between a Christian terrorist and a Muslim one is that a Christian who commits an act of terrorism is referred to as a “person” when reported on. A Muslim who commits an act of terrorism is a referred to as a “Muslim terrorist.” Religion only comes into play if the person or group is not amongst the majority. This needs to stop.

The only thing separating Muslim people from those of other faiths is their religion. That’s it. Muslim people are regular people. They eat, they sleep, they work, they pay taxes, they do everything anyone else does. Some are good people, some are bad, just like any group of people. The vast majority of Muslims, just like the vast majority of people in any religion, are not involved with terrorist organizations. The sign posted in the subway is not only sickening, it assumes those reading lack common sense. It assumes they will be so consumed with fear that they will believe the false message this propaganda is supposed to purvey.

Thankfully, however, a group of New Yorkers took matters into their own hands so now anyone who sees these ads will also see that they are propaganda. This is a classic example of people doing a small thing which goes a long way. It is up to us to fight this kind of racism and fight it we shall.

Segway Jeremy Ryan has become a full-time member of the protests at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Formerly a businessman, he gave up his business to join the fight for the middle class in the State of Wisconsin. He rides a Segway due to a heart condition. Through videos and writings he has informed hundreds of thousands of people about what was going on at the Wisconsin State Capitol once the mainstream media had mostly abandoned the protests. He has been arrested 38 times mainly for silently filming or holding up a sign in the Capitol.

Author: Segway Jeremy RyanJeremy Ryan also known as Segway Jeremy Ryan is a protester at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Formerly a businessman and founder of Cells R' Us Global Wholesale and Communications, he left the corporate world to take on full time activism once Scott Walker started his attack on Wisconsin's middle class. Jeremy spends every day in the Wisconsin State Capitol organizing civil disobedience (as the most arrested and ticketed man since the beginning of the Solidarity struggle), putting pressure on legislators, and reporting what is going on in Wisconsin. Jeremy has survived five cardiac arrests as well as lung and bone cancer and credits these struggles to his unique perspective on life and politics. You can find him at www.facebook.com/jeremyjryan